1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a float used for a liquid waste disposal apparatus serving to absorb, to solidify and to dispose a liquid waste such as unwanted blood, other body fluids, secretion derived from a medical scene or pus or physiological sodium chloride solution used for cleansing affected areas.
2. Description of Related Art
A liquid waste (e.g. unwanted blood, other body fluids, secretion, pus, or physiological sodium chloride solution used for cleansing affected areas) derived from medical scenes, particularly at a scene of surgical operation, is collected into a container or a collecting bag for disposal and incineration by an absorbing apparatus.
However, since the liquid waste may contain a harmful bacteria or the like, a secondary infection may occur among medical employees, hospital patients and the like, when the container or the collecting bag becomes damaged or when an excessive amount of the liquid waste is absorbed exceeding a capacity of the collecting bag.
For preventing thus created problem, an apparatus for solidifying a liquid waste with a water-absorptive material arranged inside a collecting bag is provided and methods for arranging the liquid waste solidifying water-absorptive material inside the collecting bag are provided such as: a method of forming a collecting bag with a non-water permeable sheet and a water-absorptive sheet stuck with each other in which the water-absorptive sheet is arranged as an inner surface, a method of dropping a prepared water-absorptive material into a collecting bag after an absorption of liquid waste, or a method of fixing a water-absorptive material at a bottom portion of a collecting bag.
Nevertheless, the foregoing conventional example of forming a collecting bag with a non-water permeable sheet and a water-absorptive sheet stuck with each other caused an inner portion to be unable to be seen from outside and also caused difficulty of folding and also caused inconvenience during storage and transport owing to a multiple structure of the collecting bag.
With the foregoing conventional example of dropping a prepared water-absorptive material into a collecting bag after absorption of liquid waste, further absorption could not be performed once solidification is completed and there remained a danger when toppled during the middle of a process since solidification would not proceed until the water-absorptive material is dropped inside the collecting bag.
With the foregoing conventional example of fixing a water-absorptive material at a bottom portion of a collecting bag, a solidifying speed would decrease in association with the proceeding of the liquid waste absorption process.
It is an object of this invention to solve the aforementioned problems by providing a float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus capable of making the amount of the content inside a container more visible and capable of making solidification of an absorbed liquid waste faster and steadier.
This invention for solving the foregoing problems relates to a float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus contained in a floatable state inside a container for containing an absorbed liquid waste comprising: a solidifying agent retaining portion for retaining a solidifying agent; a revolution prevention member restrained by an inner wall of the container to prevent revolution in a vertical direction; and a flow path for flowing downward a liquid waste absorbed from an upper portion into the container.
Thus structured, the flow path flows downward a liquid waste absorbed from an upper portion into the container. The revolution prevention member arranged to the float and restrained by an inner wall of the container serves to prevent the float from revolving in a vertical direction and thus enables the float to steadily float inside the container. The solidifying agent retained by the solidifying agent retaining portion serves to solidify the liquid waste.
A solidifying agent could be provided within the container since the float itself is capable of retaining a solidifying agent; subsequently, the solidification of liquid waste inside the container enables the container to be disposed one by one and thus enables sanitary disposal.
Structuring the revolution prevention member by forming a guide member at a sidewall of a float body or at an outer peripheral portion of the float body enables a desirable simple structure.
Structuring the flow path by forming an interstitial portion arranged between the sidewall of the float body and the inner wall of the container and/or an interstitial portion arranged between the float body and the guide member arranged at the outer peripheral portion of the float body enables a desirable simple structure.
Another structure of the float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus regarding this invention relates to a float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus contained in a floatable state inside a container for containing an absorbed liquid waste comprising: an annular solidifying agent retaining portion for retaining a solidifying agent, wherein a hollow portion of the annular solidifying agent retaining portion forms a flow path for flowing downward a liquid waste absorbed from an upper portion into the container and thus, a sidewall of the annular solidifying agent retaining portion is restrained by an inner wall of the container to prevent revolution in a vertical direction.
Thus structured, a flow path formed of a hollow portion of the annular solidifying agent retaining portion enables a liquid waste absorbed into the container to flow downward from an upper portion. The annular revolution prevention member restrained by an inner wall of the container serves to prevent the float from revolving in a vertical direction and thus enables the float to steadily float inside the container. The solidifying agent retained by the annular solidifying agent retaining portion serves to solidify the liquid waste.
A solidifying agent could be provided inside the container since the float itself is capable of retaining a solidifying agent; subsequently, the solidification of liquid waste inside the container enables the container to be solely and sanitarily disposed.
Another structure of the float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus regarding this invention relates to a float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus contained in a floatable state inside a container for containing an absorbed liquid waste comprising: an annular solidifying agent retaining portion for retaining a solidifying agent; and a revolution prevention member having a stick-like, or pipe-like, or wire-like structure and being inserted through the hollow portion of the annular solidifying agent retaining portion, wherein the hollow portion of the annular solidifying agent retaining portion forms a flow path for flowing downward a liquid waste absorbed from an upper portion into the container.
According to thus structure, the liquid waste absorbed from an upper portion flows downward into the container via the hollow portion of the annular solidifying agent retaining portion serving as the flow path. A revolution prevention member having a stick-like, or pipe-like, or wire-like structure and being inserted through the hollow portion of the annular solidifying agent retaining portion is restrained by an inner wall of the container so as to prevent the float from revolving in a vertical direction and thus enabling the float to steadily float inside the container. The solidifying agent retained by the annular solidifying agent retaining portion serves to solidify the liquid waste. A solidifying agent could be provided within the container since the float itself is capable of retaining a solidifying agent; subsequently, the solidification of liquid waste inside the container enables the container to be solely and sanitarily disposed.
An activation of an absorption stop valve causes absorption to automatically stop when the float inside the container reaches an upper end portion of the container by arranging the absorption stop valve at an inner side of the upper portion of the container in which the absorption stop valve is activated when pushed upward by an upward-pushing portion; subsequently, the upward-pushing portion of the float activates the absorption stop valve so as to automatically stop the absorption of liquid waste before the container becomes full and also serves to prevent an air pump or the like from malfunctioning from an excessive absorption into the container.
By forming a downward opening portion and by stretching and spreading a water permeable sheet (e.g. traditional Japanese paper) in a state where a liquid waste absorbed into the container flows downward from the upper portion via the flow path, the liquid waste could permeate into the water permeable sheet and contacts to a solidifying agent and then, the solidifying agent could swell to tear the water permeable sheet and then, the solidifying agent is mixed into the liquid waste from a downward opening portion of the solidifying agent retaining portion so as to solidify the liquid waste below the float.
By forming a downward opening portion and by stretching and spreading a water-soluble film in a state where a liquid waste absorbed into the container flows downward from the upper portion via the flow path, the liquid waste contacts to the water-soluble sheet and dissolves the water-soluble sheet and then, the solidifyng agent is mixed into the liquid waste from a downward opening portion of the solidifying agent retaining portion so as to solidify the liquid waste below the float.
By controlling a specific gravity of the float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus to become less than 1, a liquid surface could be easily confirmed from outside by checking the position of the float since the float would always remain afloat at a gas-liquid interface; accordingly, an amount of the absorbed liquid waste could easily be visually recognized and could also function as a level gauge.
By having at least one portion of the float for a liquid waste disposal apparatus in a florescent color or in a color distinguishable between a color of a liquid waste, a liquid surface could easily be confirmed from outside since the position of the float could easily be visually recognized; accordingly, an operator could positively confirm the used capacity as well as the remaining capacity of the container.